


Caged

by Random_Nerd3



Series: JatP Whumptober 2020 [4]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst, Caleb Cares About Willie, Caleb Covington Has a Heart, Caleb Covington Redemption, Caleb Made A Deal, Day 4, Drabble, Hollywood Ghost Club, Hurt No Comfort, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 01, Sort of? - Freeform, The Twins - Freeform, Whumptober 2020, caged, heavy Caleb Angst, i guess?, this is the shortest thing i've ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26825305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Random_Nerd3/pseuds/Random_Nerd3
Summary: Caleb Covington made his deal and now he's stuck with it. He was just happy the kids were able to get out of theirs before it was too late.
Relationships: Caleb Covington & Willie
Series: JatP Whumptober 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949821
Comments: 8
Kudos: 96





	Caged

When his performance finally ends with the familiar dramatic flourish Caleb turns around to re-introduce his new house band but… they aren’t there anymore. The twins tell him that the boys flickered out of the club and Caleb felt a sigh of relief rattle through him. Despite the front he put on, despite all his swagger and fancy tricks Caleb himself was at fault for falling for a bad deal. No one deserved the same fate he was stuck in, not even those insolent little twerps that had Willie wrapped around their fingers. “Girls!” Caleb yelled over the audience’s roaring cheers. He didn’t have time to bask in the applause tonight. The twins approached him with flirtatious smiles and he shrugged them off. “I’m going to my office. Do not allow anyone up until I say so,” the twins nodded with a synchronized fit of giggles.

“Of course Mister Covington,” Lila said as he pushed his way through the crowd to his office stairs. Caleb closed the door just in time for his own stamp to push a jolt of pain through his body, tossing him to the other side of the room. The Hollywood Ghost Club, his office, it was all a front for the  _ real _ working that happened behind the scenes. Caleb was young when he made his deal, he was foolish… and now he wasn’t able to correct his mistakes. The shadows warped around him and Caleb knew he wasn’t alone anymore.

“Please,” Caleb begged, though he knew it was helpless. “Don’t -” another jolt of pain raced through his body and he struggled to rise to his feet.

“ _ Caleb, _ ” The demonic voice hissed, knitting it’s way through his worst nightmares. “ _ I told you I wanted those boys. _ ” Caleb grabbed his chest and leaned against the wall trying to catch his breath. “ _ You failed me, _ ” the demon said as shadows crawled around Caleb’s neck, tightening their hold around him. Caleb was trapped, stuck,  _ caged _ . He didn’t have the same freedom Willie or the boys did… he was never going to be a free soul again.

“I’ll try again!” Caleb pleaded, choking on his own tongue. “I won’t fail!” The demon hissed and shattered the lights in Caleb’s office, surrounding him with darkness. Though he didn’t have a corporeal form, Caleb could feel the demon breathing against the back of his neck.

“ _ And if you do fail again? I can’t allow my souls the false lies of the possibility of the taste of freedom. This place is your cage Covington. You knew what you were signing up for when you shook my hand _ .” Caleb poofed just out of the demon’s grasp, just a few feet away from where he used to stand.

“I didn’t  _ know _ .” Caleb said, rubbing his hand against his throat as he caught his breath. The demon hissed in anger, but didn’t try to attack him again.

“ _ You are indebted to me for an eternity, Covington. Never forget that,” _ The demon said, his deep voice echoing throughout the office.

“You never let me,” Caleb muttered, a light jolt of pain racing through her gout.

“ _ One last chance Covington. If you fail this time, you’ll finally see what a  _ real _ cage looks like.”  _ The demon left and the lights in his office turned back on. Caleb sunk to the ground, back against the wall. He unbuttoned his vest and tossed it aside, inhaling large heaving breaths. Leaning his head back he knew he had no choice, that he had to do what the demon said but… but he had a soft spot for Willie, and Willie had a soft spot for Alex. Caleb couldn’t help but feel a little bit grateful that those meddlesome boys didn’t have to suffer from the same fate he did: serving evil for all eternity. He was trapped, caged in a loop he’d never be free from and as long as Willie and his friends didn’t suffer with him, Caleb was fine with whatever happened to his soul.


End file.
